Fenty friend who got controversial parks contract won't testify

Omar Karim, principal of the Banneker Ventures, will not appear at a hearing on the controversial contract his company was awarded to oversee the construction of a dozen recreational facilities, according to a letter hand-delivered to Council member Harry Thomas Jr. by his attorney A. Scott Bolden.

In the Nov. 24 letter, Bolden explains that Karim has a conflict with his work and travel schedule. He also wrote that similar issues will prevent Sean and Thomas Regan, of Regan Associates, Banneker's partner in the construction projects, from attending.

The Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation had issued subpoenas for their attendance at a fourth hearing on the issue. Thomas is committee chairman.

In addition to scheduling conflicts, Bolden said in his letter that he and David Miller, the Regans' attorney, have "fundamental issues" with the subpoenas. There is "no affixed date" as to when they were issued and the production of documents "appears duplicative, overly burdensome and are clearly overly broad," Bolden wrote.

But Bolden continued by explaining that Karim and the Regans want to provide the council with "only relevant information" and "have every intention of cooperating with the investigation."

Well, Councilman Thomas and the rest of City Council, is this another "slam dunk?" I think you should take the matter to court. Just another example of the impropriety that is Adrian Fenty's administration. Get on the Court docket!!

This attorney also represents Kappa Brother Sinclair Skinner for his gift of the fire truck and ambulance to another nation. Skinner doesn't even have a job in the City Administration, so what entitles him to "gift" equipment that does not belong to him.

Finally, it is patently obvious that any questions the City Council wants to ask would be 'relevant,' so what do Karim and the other fraternity brothers who call Fenty 'god' want to hide? To think that Fenty too was supposed to be a change we can believe in.

concernedaboutdc is on to something here. If these folks have fundamental issues with the subpoenas (more than simple scheduling conflicts), DC should just cancel the contracts. If those to whom we pay our tax dollars are unwilling to cooperate fully in a lawful investigtion, they should be barred from doing business with the DC government.

The DC Council, in exercising its oversight responsibilities, has every right to obtain a broad array of documents and to compel sworn testimony. Mr. Bolden is stonewalling clear and simple.